Lottery ticket dispensing apparatus

Abstract

A lottery ticket dispensing machine includes a ticket dispensing mechanism for advancing a continuous strip of lottery tickets therethrough and subsequent separation of the selected number of tickets from the continuous strip. The machine includes a framing assembly for housing the dispensing mechanism which is controlled by a computer driven printed circuit board for determining the distance that the continuous strip of tickets will travel. The dispensing mechanism is powered by a motor for rotation of a set of pinch rollers and forward feed advancement of the continuous strip of lottery tickets therethrough. The strip of tickets travels past a stationary cutting blade subsequently hitting a deflector cover for directing the strip of tickets in an opposite direction until reaching the pre-set distance generated by the printed circuit board at which point the motor reverses and the first encountered perforation engages the stationary cutting blade for separation of the selected number of tickets from the continuous strip.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An automated vending machine for dispensing instant scratch lottery tickets perforated at intervals in a continuous strip, said vending machine comprising: a framing assembly for housing an instant ticket dispensing mechanism therein;   control means housed within said framing assembly for presetting the distance that the continuous strip of tickets will travel, which pre-set distance corresponds to the number of tickets to be dispensed;   a dispensing mechanism for receiving and dispensing the strip of tickets comprising a motor operated by said control means for powering advancement of the continuous strip of tickets in both a forward and backward direction, a drive gear driven by said motor, a driven gear which meshes with said drive gear and is driven thereby, a first pinch roller rotated by said driven gear, said first pinch roller cooperating with a second pinch roller for feeding the continuous strip of tickets in the forward direction, a stationary cutting blade mounted on said framing assembly, guide means for guiding movement of the strip of tickets from said pinch rollers through an arcuate path in spaced relation to said cutting blade, and then in an opposite direction toward an output, and   sensing means for detecting the leading edge of the strip of tickets and communicating the same to said control means, wherein upon the strip reaching the pre-set distance generated by the control means, the sensing means generates a signal to the motor to reverse direction, thereby reversing direction of the strip, wherein reversing direction of the strip pulls the strip in a backwards direction, against the cutting blade so that when the first encountered perforation engages the cutting blade, the latter penetrates the perforation, and continued reverse movement of the strip causes complete tearing away of the selected number of tickets from the strip.   
     
     
       2. A vending machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said control means comprises a computer driven printed circuit board for sending the appropriate commands to the motor of the ticket dispensing mechanism. 
     
     
       3. A vending machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein said stationary cutting blade is tapered at an angle between 100 and 110 degrees from opposite sides to form the apex at the center thereof. 
     
     
       4. A ticket dispensing mechanism for effectively separating a selected number of instant scratch lottery tickets from a continuous strip perforated at intervals, said dispensing mechanism comprising: control means for presetting the distance that the continuous strip of tickets will travel, which pre-set distance corresponds to the number of tickets to be separated and subsequently dispensed;   a motor operated by said control means for powering advancement of the continuous strip of tickets the predetermined distance generated by said control means;   a drive gear driven by said motor;   a driven gear which meshes with said drive gear and is driven thereby;   a first pinch roller rotated by said driven gear;   a second pinch roller cooperating with said first pinch roller for rotation of said second pinch roller and forward feeding advancement of the continuous strip of perforated lottery tickets between said first and second pinch rollers;   a stationary cutting blade for separation of the selected number of tickets from the continuous strip;   a deflector cover for directing the continuous strip of tickets around an arc and then in an opposite direction toward an output, said cutting blade being located adjacent said arc, and;   a pair of optic sensors for detecting the leading edge of the lottery tickets when the latter has reached said pre-set distance, actuation of said sensors causing said motor to reverse direction, thereby reversing direction of the strip, wherein reversing direction of the strip pulls the strip in a backwards direction, against the cutting blade so that when the first encountered perforation engages the cutting blade, the latter penetrates the perforation, and continued reverse movement of the strip causes complete tearing away of the selected number of tickets from the strip.   
     
     
       5. A ticket dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 4, wherein said control means comprises a computer driven printed circuit board for sending the appropriate signals to the motor of the ticket dispensing mechanism. 
     
     
       6. A ticket dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 5, wherein said printed circuit board may be programmed for dispensing lottery tickets sized between two and sixteen inches. 
     
     
       7. A ticket dispensing mechanism as set forth in claim 6, wherein said stationary cutting blade is tapered at an angle between 100 and 110 degrees from opposite sides to form the apex at the center thereof.